strong lifts 5x5

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  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    I did starting strength (similar to SL5x5) for a while on 1200 + exercise cals, before stalling out. You can get a few months strength gains, at deficit, before you need to start thinking about eating at maintenance or surplus.

    Lift at deficit (doesn't have to be your current one) till you stall out on the lifts then reassess.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    amyrebeccah wrote: »
    Why should she be at a deficit when she isn't trying to lose weight?

    She wants to lose fat. Any suggestion other than deficit to achieve that - I'd genuinely love to know as I'm due to cut in February - if I can lose fat without cutting, I'm all over that!

  • clyn27
    clyn27 Posts: 102 Member
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    hmmm I will go on a mission later to figure out what I can set it on. My boyfriend has most of the weights all in one bag under the bed and I can't get it out of there by myself lol I am sure I have a few 2x4s out in the shed that might work. I am ordering db bars off amazon this weekend since I already have a *kitten* ton of plates ( boyfriend used to work out hard core back in the day then rolled a car and injured his back, never really got back into it) I will wait and see if I like doing it that way, if I don't I will try a kettle bell. The only gym around where I live my sisters ex husband works at and she is currently trying to get a restraining order so until he gets fired for touching another woman at work I can not join the gym out of respect for my sister ( not to mention I will probably get kicked out for punching him) so I will have to make working out at home work the best I can for now. Thank you for all the advise. I will probably have more questions at some point
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    If you don't have much fat to lose you don't want to run huge deficits...especially if you're doing SL 5x5...you'll stall out pretty fast. If you run a deficit, make it very small...like 250 calories tops. To get the most out of the program though I would minimally eat at maintenance.

    SL 5x5 is a pretty rigorous program, especially if you're dieting. I much prefer a 3x5 format when dieting...a 5x5 format dieting is pretty rough.
  • FullOnBurn
    FullOnBurn Posts: 43 Member
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    3laine75 wrote: »
    I did starting strength (similar to SL5x5) for a while on 1200 + exercise cals, before stalling out. You can get a few months strength gains, at deficit, before you need to start thinking about eating at maintenance or surplus.

    Lift at deficit (doesn't have to be your current one) till you stall out on the lifts then reassess.

    You won't get very far on a 1200 cal/day diet and lifting heavy. Save yourself the frustration and eat at least your TDEE. If you really want to add muscle, you will have to actually eat at a surplus. You can do it at TDEE or a slight deficit but at a much slower rate. Pick your desired path. SL and the other linear progression programs get hard quick and you can easily lose your motivation when you keep stalling out because you haven't recovered enough (sleep + food)
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    OP, if you've got room, there are plans out on the net for building DIY squat racks for not a lot of $$$. Depends on how handy you and the BF are.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Also, check out Craigslist. A lot of times you can find equipment on there fairly cheap. I found my squat stands for $50 and then I just use a set of sawhorses as the safety stands.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    FullOnBurn wrote: »
    3laine75 wrote: »
    I did starting strength (similar to SL5x5) for a while on 1200 + exercise cals, before stalling out. You can get a few months strength gains, at deficit, before you need to start thinking about eating at maintenance or surplus.

    Lift at deficit (doesn't have to be your current one) till you stall out on the lifts then reassess.

    You won't get very far on a 1200 cal/day diet and lifting heavy. Save yourself the frustration and eat at least your TDEE. If you really want to add muscle, you will have to actually eat at a surplus. You can do it at TDEE or a slight deficit but at a much slower rate. Pick your desired path. SL and the other linear progression programs get hard quick and you can easily lose your motivation when you keep stalling out because you haven't recovered enough (sleep + food)


    Thanks for the info....I've been lifting for 2 and half years and I'm on my second bulk/cut cycle. Actually I got six months of strength (and some noobie) gains - going from 0kg to 60 kg squat - eating at 1200 PLUS EX CALS as I said in my post, giving advice to someone new who is still looking to lose fat.

    I am perfectly aware of how to work out my TDEE and the nutrition I need to reach my goals and did not ask for any advice. I also feel my advice, that OP can get a few months out of lifting at deficit, is helpful for her moving on. If she likes lifting, she will soon get the bug and start researching nutrition and ways of progressing herself. The important thing is to get in the weight room NOW to preserve current lean mass and bone density.
  • zipa78
    zipa78 Posts: 354 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Also, check out Craigslist. A lot of times you can find equipment on there fairly cheap. I found my squat stands for $50 and then I just use a set of sawhorses as the safety stands.

    This would be my suggestion as well. One option (it requires a bit of practice, though) is to do front squats and just clean the weight up on your shoulders. It will be harder, but dammit, it will make you strong!

    As for deadlifts and rows, you can do them from a hang while working up to the larger plates if you can't find anything to rest the bar on.
  • clyn27
    clyn27 Posts: 102 Member
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    It's not so much a money and more of a space thing for the rack. We are a family of 4 and a medium sized dog pecked into a 700 sq/ft house. That would be why all the plates are in a bad under the bed lol no where else to put them. We are buying a much larger house in the next 6 months so I will definitely invest in a rack when we move until then I'll just modify things to work with me and our limited space.
  • JessaLee0324
    JessaLee0324 Posts: 118 Member
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    I do 5x5 and am currently struggling with eating the right amount of food. I love the program but as one person mentioned, it's very taxing on your body. Doing 5x5 is not good for your body at a deficit. Believe me...you need MORE food for repair then you can imagine.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    clyn27 wrote: »
    It's not so much a money and more of a space thing for the rack. We are a family of 4 and a medium sized dog pecked into a 700 sq/ft house. That would be why all the plates are in a bad under the bed lol no where else to put them. We are buying a much larger house in the next 6 months so I will definitely invest in a rack when we move until then I'll just modify things to work with me and our limited space.

    Seems perfect -- ditch the bed (or use the lumber from it to build a squat rack), and boom! you got a weight room -- won't even have to move in the weights.

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